Beasts of the Southern Wild screenwriter Lucy Alibar will pen a script for the film based on Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1911 novel of the same name.

The Secret Garden has been adapted on numerous past occasions for theatre, film and television. Kate Maberly, Andrew Knott and Dame Maggie Smith starred in a 1993 cinematic adaptation directed by Agnieszka Holland.

Del Toro already has numerous projects in development, including his Pinocchio adaptation and Crimson Peak, both of which are in pre-production.

His next directorial venture will be Pacific Rim, which opens in the UK on July 12.